The present invention relates generally to fishing lures and more specifically to soft pliable fishing lures having the appearance of worms, small water frogs and other objects which are attractive to game fish and whcih have tails or other appendages which wriggle as they move through the water. The present invention is a lure having the shape of a crossed-over loop for the body in one example and a crossed-over loop for the tail or other appendage in other applications of this invention. The crossed-over loop initiates a total body action which can include oscillating, wavering, darting, extending and retracting, reversing and balanced rocking as the fisherman works the line by either movements of the tip of the rod or by retrieving the line. The variety of actions and the corresponding lifelike motion of the lure capture the attention of game fish causing them to strike at the lure.
The prior art includes the applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,100,360 and 3,158,952, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,656 issued to D. L. Bain, 3,349,513 issued to Jeff, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,316 issued to DeZeeuw.
The fishing lure industry has produced lures of soft plastic and other rubbery materials which simulate insects, worms and other feeding objects of game fish. While these lures have been designed to resemble the earthworm or redworm, for example, and have done so with complete detail, they have not achieved a life-like complete body action in the water attractive to game fish. The prior art discloses many lures, some with curled or coiled tails. All such lures are molded in a single layer mold. The present invention of a crossedover loop design requires either a double layer mold or an injection type mold. The looped over section of the lure can be of a thin, flat cross section or of a round or oval cross section. And, the loop can be located in the body portion of the lure or the tail section with corresponding different body motions in the water. The tail or appendage has a substantially greater motion than the firmer body and head portion, however, the rocking and darting motion of the head, caused by the moving tail portion is one of the principal improvements of this invention. The tail is a directing member, causing the body and head to dart and rock.
The present invention provides a fishing lure having a total body motion when moved through the water which includes oscillating, wavering, darting, reversing and rocking as a direct result of the loop design. The lure can be caused to turn first in one direction, then in the other in a spiral like rotating action by pulling it rapidly through the water. It can be made to extend and retract by pulling the line in a jerking type manner. The various actions described hereinabove continue at all times while the lure is in the water since even while the line is stationary the small currents present in lakes, ponds and streams impart sufficient forces to produce the said movements. The movements described result from the crossed-over loop feature and will occur with the lure on the surface, at moderate depths or near the bottom, the depth of running being set by the associated weights, swivels and leader size and length chosen by the fisherman.
The crossed-over loop section of the present invention simulates the tail portion of a worm or the legs of the common water frog. In order to simulate the frog two crossed-over loop appendages are used, one on either side of a larger, firmer main body and head portion.
A mounting apparatus is also disclosed by the present invention which includes a spoon of a size and design chosen for its movement in the water on one side of a spreader and a fishing lure of the twisting or spiraling type on the other side of the spreader. The twisting of the lure is counter-balanced by the rotating action of the spoon such that the torques produced by the spoon and the lure result in zero torque at the point of attachment of the spreader to the fishing line. In the prior art rotating lures have been offered without any means, other than the well-known swivel, to prevent the line from twisting. Since the mounting apparatus disclosed and the fishing lure in combination have zero torque at the line connection there is no twisting of the line.